HARBOR BOARD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 394, 20 May 1910, Page 2

HARBOR BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. ■ The ordinary monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Harbor Board iwias -held yesterday. Present: Messrs J. a. Connett (chairman), Newton King, J. McCluggage, E. Dorkill, E. Price, C. A. Wilkinson, and E. Maxwell. HARBOR SUiivEY. The Marine Department wrote, in answer to the Board's letter asking that ! a survey be made of .the harbor and its approaches, that if the Board were willing to undertake 'all the expenses, the : Department would ascertain if a competent surveyor were available, and one whose survey would be accepted by. the Admiralty. j FOREMAN'S REPORT. The foreman, Mr. F. Henderson, reported:— * Dredge.—Repairs were completed, and the dredge hoated off the gridiron on Tuesday, 20th April. For two days the ; boiler-feed and condenser pumps did not work properly, but everything had since worked as well as ever. Coal bin.—The new coal bin was completed, and was now being used for tine storage of coal. The doors and chute attachments had been found to answer well, and to effect a considerate saving of time in coaling the. dredge, but the utility of the structure would be moTe apparent when the water was deepened , alongside, and colliers could discharge direct into the bin. The yard had been cleared and rearranged for tine reception of timber for wharf widening, the first shipment of which was now being discharged. The waiter service lagoon had been thorough- • ly cleared from weeds and .rushes. The lupins on the Ngamotu road had heen , cut. The crane houses, mixing-house, , and flag-house, which were all damaged , by the storm in March had been repair- : I ed. HARBORMASTER'S REPORT. ! The harbormaster reported that for . the four weeks ending 14th May, there , had been 43 steamer berthings "at the wharf, of an aggregate tonnage of 36,454 tons. The imports amounted to 7092 • tons, of which 1839 were coal (529 tons ( for the Railway Department and 1310 ton 3 for private use). The exports amounted to 1319 tons of prouuee. The , dredge was floated off the gridiron on ■, the 2Gth April, after repairs caused by ' the mishap on March 31st. She bad . since dredged on eight days, removing ( 16 loads, equal to 960 yards o'f silt. The dredge, he remarked, was working very well ait present. The vessel Marjone Craig had arrived from Tasmania with timber for wharf extension. Owing to the dredge being so loig from her work there was a little difference in the depths of the water in the •harbor, tat not sufficient to make any practical deference. MOORING THE 'TARITUTJLT." \ Mr. F. W. Marchiant, C.E., consulting < ! engineer, who had been on a visit of in- " speetion to the port, wrote:—l have ! gone into the question of moorings for ' the dredge "Paritutu" with your har- i bornvaster, and have agreed with him ] that three large concrete block anchors • should 'be set at points which he will ' indicate for the mooring and working of the new plant. I accordingly arrang- : ed with the foreman for the construction and setting 0 f these. Each mooring w... < require some seven fathoms of 2in chain, together with other fittings. It iwiould 'he best to leave this part of the mooring . work in uue hands of the harbor- ; master to obtain and fix for chains, etc., as he may think best. These anchor blocks will be set flush or below the sea bottom, holes being dredged out for their reception. This work shouKt oe immediately commenced, so as to be available for the use of the plant on her arrival. Concerning the proposal to berth the "Paritutu" alongside the coal bunker, I think this should be .allowed to stand over until we have had some experience in handling the plant at New Plymouth. Some modification of the proposal might be well enough, but at present I cannot see my way to give tine scheme, as outlined, my support. The harbormaster's point is that she could always be boarded at this place, while if moored out in the bay. no boat could Teach her in wild weather. The scheme /he proposed would cost a fair amount of money, and I thhi'.; it should be deferred until some experience has been gained with her. Mr. Marchant, addressing the Board, said that he and the harbormaster bivl i conferred further upon this matter, and. they had agreed that the new dredge upon arrival should be set to dredge out a berth for herself on the eastern side of the breakwater, inshore from tue berth at present occupied by the Marjorie Craig. The bottom just there was very hard, and he thought it would be as well to 'test her capabilities in breaking up and dredging the hard bottom whilst she was still in the hands of the makers and undergoing the six weeks' trial specified. BUILDING ALLOTMENTS. Messrs. E. Griffiths and Co. applied for permission to erect an iron building on the Board's leasehold section in Ariki street, subject to the Board's power to order its removal upon one month's notice should the section be required. It was decided that the matter be ■ held over till next meeting, and that ■ the secretary inform Messrs Griffiths and Co. that the Board is considering the question of letting these sections without building restrictions. Mr. King stated that the building restrictions were restricting! investment j and speculation in these sections as well as the Board's Kawau Pah reserve. THE "TOMMY KING." 1 The Foxton Harbor Board wrote ask-i ' ing upon what terms the Board would hire out the dredge ••Tommy King." The letter explained that the dredge was required for deepening the entrance to the river, where a bar had formed. It was decided that the Foxton Board , be informed that the Board's new dredge [ would arrive here in August, and tot the present dredge would then be sold atj as earlv a date as possible; and that] the Board invite applications for tlie , purchase of the dredge. GENERAL. ; Mr. J. W. Seandtyn wrote offering to lease the Board's reserve 'T' at Bell " Block, nlto-ing £lO per annum for 100 acres, or £lB for the 296 acres—Deferred for a month, the Board to inspect in the meantime.